Top 10 Fastest-Growing Jobs in America that pay more than $100,000 (2023)

The number of jobs in the U.S. is anticipated to increase across all occupations by 5.3% by 2031 as the coronavirus epidemic fades, but positions that pay over $100,000 annually on average are anticipated to increase at twice that rate, according to forecasts from the Bureau of Labour Statistics.

In fact, it is predicted that 1 in 4 new positions over the next ten years would be in professions with average annual salaries of six figures. Jobs in those areas will increase as a result of the ageing population’s rising demands for health care, technology advancements that are proliferating.

Stacker rated the top 50 fastest-growing careers out of more than 100 professions with salaries above $100,000 per year using data for 2021 from the Bureau of Labour Statistics Employment Projections and Occupational Employment Statistics. Jobs are ordered according to their expected 10-year employment change, with ties broken by anticipated employment in 2031.

This page lists a variety of careers connected to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, including those for lawyers, transportation workers, biomedical engineers, computer and information research scientists, and chemical engineers. Numerous doctors of various specialties and professionals from the tech sector also appear.

These occupations frequently require college education or on-the-job training. Of course, possibilities for lower-income individuals to access these occupations and the need to invest in STEM education in places that don’t have the same resources as more affluent regions are significant concerns for many Americans.

Discover which rapidly expanding careers might be of interest to you, a family member, or even a young person you know who is making future plans by reading on.

Fastest-growing jobs in America that pay over $100K in detail:

#10. Actuaries

• Projected change in employment from 2021 to 2031: 20.8%
• Workforce in 2021: 28,300
• 34,200 projected jobs in 2031, with a mean annual wage of $125,300 in 2021

Actuaries “analyse the financial costs of risk and uncertainty,” according to the BLS, and must successfully complete a series of exams to get their certification as professionals. For a Tesla insurance company, Elon Musk issued a request for “revolutionary actuaries” in 2020. However, they tend to be considerably more quiet and discreet. Actuaries in the insurance sector typically concentrate on a single area.

#9. Computer and information research scientists

• Projected change in employment from 2021 to 2031: 21.3%
• Workforce in 2021: 33,500
• 40,600 projected jobs in 2031, with a mean yearly wage of $142,650 in 2021

Federal positions may just require a bachelor’s degree, despite the fact that a master’s degree is generally advised for computer and information research scientists. These scientists frequently collaborate with engineers and possess a solid foundation of cross-disciplinary knowledge.

#8. Health specialties teachers, postsecondary

• Projected change in employment from 2021 to 2031: 24.1%
• 2021 employment forecast: 246,700
• Employment in 2031 is anticipated to be 306,100, with a mean annual wage of $133,310.

The states with the highest concentration of postsecondary health specialty teachers are Texas, New York, and Pennsylvania. These instructors concentrate on teaching classes in specialised fields such veterinary medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, public health, and therapy. Nursing and medical science are typically not taught by academics in health specialisations.

#7. Software developers

• Employment change anticipated from 2021 to 2031: 26.0%
• 2021 employment forecast: 1,425,900
• 1,796,500 jobs are anticipated to be available in 2031, with a mean annual wage of $120,990.

Programming languages are used by software developers to create, build, and manage software systems for both clients and staff members of the business. They frequently direct teams that include professionals in marketing, sales, finances, and customer support to provide integrated solutions to address various demands.

#6. Physician assistants

• Employment change anticipated from 2021 to 2031: 27.6%
• 2021 employment forecast: 139,100
• Employment is anticipated to reach 177,500 in 2031, with a mean annual wage of $119,460.

A master’s degree is frequently obtained by physician assistants. Although many physician assistants joined the fight against the epidemic early on, hundreds eventually lost their jobs. Physician assistants frequently act as primary care doctors in impoverished and rural areas.

#5. Medical and health services managers

• Projected change in employment from 2021 to 2031: 28.3%
• 2021 Employment: 480,700
• Employment is anticipated to be 616,900 in 2031, with a mean annual wage of $119,840.

These managers, who are also referred to as health care administrators or health care executives, oversee entire hospitals, clinics, or physician groups. A manager of medical and health services frequently holds a master’s degree.

#4. Information security analysts

• Employment change anticipated from 2021 to 2031: 34.7%
• 2021 employment forecast: 163,000
• Employment is anticipated to be 219,500 in 2031, with a mean yearly wage of $113,270.

Information security analysts are typically expected by businesses to have a bachelor’s degree in computer science. As businesses and citizens worry about the strength of cyberattacks and the way that information on networks is being shared without consent, the work of information security analysts has grown more crucial.

#3. Athletes and sports competitors

• Projected change in employment from 2021 to 2031: 35.7%
• Workforce in 2021: 15,800
• Employment is anticipated to be 21,500 in 2031, with a mean yearly wage of $116,930 in 2021.

Sports are a hugely popular type of entertainment, drawing large crowds to time-tested favourites like football, auto racing, and baseball. However, more people will work as athletes in the future than they do now as women’s professional sports chances get closer to parity with men’s and new sports, including rugby, cricket, and lacrosse, establish professional presences in the United States.

#2. Data scientists

• Projected change in employment from 2021 to 2031: 35.8%
• 2021 employment forecast: 113,300
• Employment is anticipated to reach 153,900 in 2031, with a mean yearly wage of $108,660.

Massive amounts of data produced by technological systems, medical equipment, or a variety of other sources are ingested and interpreted by data scientists. They search for patterns and fresh approaches to data collection. This complex work requires a graduate degree in engineering or programming.

#1. Nurse practitioners

• Projected change in employment from 2021 to 2031: 45.7%
• 2021 employment forecast: 246,700
• Employment is anticipated to be 359,400 in 2031, with a mean annual wage of $118,040.

The prevention of COVID-19 infections was made possible by nurse practitioners, who graduate from the same programmes as nurse anaesthetists and nurse midwives but concentrate on primary care. They continue to play a crucial role in ensuring that Americans can access medical care to stay on top of their health challenges.